Squalene is an unsaturated organic compound, which plays a role in synthesis of cholesterol, steroid hormone, and vitamin D and E in human body. Squalene may also be used in the treatment of various cancers. Squalene resources include animals and natural oils. Extracted squalene from animals, for example, the squalene extracted from shark liver oil, is expensive. The squalene synthesized by biochemical synthesis methods are in a coiled and sterol-like form, while only the linear form of squalene is metabolized in the human body. Therefore, extracting squalene from vegetable seed oils, such as pumpkin, olive, and soybean seed oils, allows for non-expensive and safe extraction of the squalene.
Considering the complexity of methods for extracting squalene from natural oils that involve utilizing super critical fluids, chromatography or distillation in vacuum, there is a need for new extraction methods for extracting squalene from natural oils.